Yesterday we reported plans from Lib Dem home office minister Norman Baker to restore the public’s trust in the police. Another policy within the party’s ‘pre-manifesto’ is reported by BBC News Online – to reform the funding arrangement that has long been criticised for short-changing Wales:

Wales could benefit from hundreds of millions of pounds under Lib Dem plans to change the way funds are allocated to devolved nations, it has been claimed. The current system, known as the Barnett formula, is based on population levels and has long been criticised for short-changing Wales. Suggestions to re-draw the formula have been fiercely resisted in Scotland.

New Liberal Democrat plans say Wales should instead get top-up payments. In 2009 an independent Welsh government-appointed commission estimated the annual shortfall was around £300m, although some MPs have suggested the current figure is lower. The latest pledge to address that gap will be part of a Liberal Democrat “pre-manifesto”, published next month, which will form the template for the party’s pitch at the general election in May. Sources within the party believe the policy could be a key Liberal Democrat demand in any future coalition talks after the General Election.

Kirsty Williams, leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, said: “My party not only recognises that Wales is underfunded, but we will actually do something about it. This is about Wales getting a fairer deal and we believe this is the best way forward for that to happen. Our communities and public services are being denied the money we are entitled to.”

8 Comments

Wales already gets higher funding than English regions. Much higher funding than, for example, the East Midlands (where I live) to the tune of about a third more. Only London gets significantly more, with the two most Northern regions getting similar allocations.

What justification can there be for raising Wales’ allocation when it’s already get a much better deal than the majority of England?

This is typical of the incoherence at the top of the party – we are told there was no money to pay for free tuition fees (so instead introduced a system that costs more !) now we are to find £300 million a year to give to Wales because the Barnett formula gives to much to Scotland – there is a more obvious solution – give less to Scotland. Now that would be a tough sell – a grown up in Government decision, instead we have the easy throw some money at the problem solution which allegedly the Clegg coup was meant to end.

I presume that Kirsty Willams’ plan will be just one part of the Liberals’ broader policy proposals in the general election manifesto for a post-referendum settlement (on which I suppose there must then be either a single nation-wide referendum of several regional referenda). What’s the party line? We live in interesting times.

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